The next generation of life science professionals will require far more quantitative skills than prior generations. Calculus is important for understanding dynamical systems in biology and, therefore, is often a required course for life science students. However, many life science students do not understand the utility value of mathematics to…

Previously, we had reported on the relationship between AP physics experience and exam scores, and student scores on the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation and in an introductory calculus-based mechanics course [E. W. Burkholder and C. E. Wieman, Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 15, 020117 (2019)]. Two limitations to our previous work were that we…

Our department has experienced a significant culture transformation in its approach to teaching. This change is primarily the result of sustained focus on reforming two heavily coordinated sequences, Applied Calculus and Calculus. Initially catalyzed by pilot projects introducing a flipped-class format to these courses, the reforms led to broader…

Previous work has looked at the relationship between high school preparation and student performance in calculus-based introductory mechanics (physics 1) courses. Here, we extend that work to look at performance in introductory calculus-based electricity and magnetism (physics 2), and we look at the significance of what college math courses have…

We conducted a semester-long ethnographic study of group work in a physics class that implemented the investigative science learning environment approach. Students' conversations were videotaped while they were engaged in group learning activities. Our primary research goal was to better understand what factors made some groups more effective than…

Education research has repeatedly shown that active learning in physics is pedagogically more efficient than traditional lecture courses. Widespread application of the active learning is slowed down by the lack of data on the performance of the active learning in widely varying circumstances of different educational systems. We measured the level…

This study aims to evaluate the university lecturers' teaching content preferences in different teaching environments at the undergraduate level of mathematics. The content that lecturers use in teaching the concept of integral is evaluated through a comparison of face-to-face and virtual classroom settings. With comparative case study being used…

In this paper, we present a "route of activities" mainly addressed to first and second year engineering students attending the basic mathematics courses. These activities are intended to be a tool both for students and teachers. On the one hand, they should help the students to acquire a deeper understanding of the mathematical ideas and…

We investigate Open Educational Resources (OER) in post-secondary Calculus with face-to-face instruction using web-based homework in a side-by-side comparison with Closed (Proprietary) Educational Resources (CER). Statistical analyses using multilinear regression models are developed to demonstrate several significant effects, to within a…

Calculus is an essential intellectual gateway and initiation in the education of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students. In this study, graded online computer homework was compared with graded handwritten homework in second-semester calculus for STEM students. Previous calculus studies excluded STEM students or compared…

This paper explores different ways in which mathematics students read a section of a prescribed mathematics textbook. In this case, the students are mathematics teachers learning new mathematics in a self-study calculus course. Two students were video-taped, while they studied a prescribed portion of the textbook. The reading styles of these two…

This paper investigates the advantages of using a two-step homework system. First, technology is used to collect and grade traditional homework. Then, students are expected to present and explain problems from their assignments in class. Several versions of implementation are discussed for different course levels and sizes. Through these methods,…

Many students do not have a deep understanding of the integral concept. This article defines what a deep understanding of the integral is in respect to integration involving one independent variable; briefly discusses factors which may inhibit such an understanding; and then describes the design of a mathematical resource for introducing students…

Over the past few decades there has been increased attention on instructional practices that incorporate and build on student thinking. To effectively implement these practices, it is essential for an instructor to demonstrate responsiveness to student thinking. Although important, responsiveness is not well-understood at the post-secondary level.…

The formal definition of limit is one mathematical idea that gives difficulties to most students. Therefore, it is necessary to provide engaging activity in order to construct the students' understanding about the definition. This study aims to shed light on designing activities with dynamic geometry software to facilitate the students in…